Video content has become a lot more popular as it has become easier to make and share with the world. Apps like Youtube, Vimeo and the now deceased Vine revolutionized the diffusion of video content. According to Forrester Research, one minute of video is worth 1.8 millions words.

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Online video content is used on two channels: website and social media. Embedding videos on landing pages makes it 53 times more likely to show up first on Google and leads to 800% more conversion. In hospitality, videos could simply be stunning food or property videos, or inviting guests into the kitchen to get a private look at how the magic happens. Denny’s does a great job of embedding visually stunning videos on their landing page, drawing users to keep exploring from the moment they enter the page.

Cracker Barrel just announced a partnership with Scotty McCreery to increase website engagement and revenue; consumers will submit their videos of someone they want to spend 5 more minutes with to the Cracker Barrel website to be featured in Scotty’s new music video for his song “Five More Minutes.” When his album launches in March at Cracker Barrel, $1 from each unit sold will go to Operation Homefront to support military families. Included in the landing page is a video of Scotty and his family showcasing the concept. Between consumer video engagement and donations to military families, we think this launch is going to increase sales and engagement for Scotty and Cracker Barrel.

From a marketing standpoint, online video is 600% more effective than print and direct mail marketing combined, and 51.9% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. One implication of great ROI is the evolution of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos. Going live shows brand authenticity and creates ‘honest reactions.’ It can be produced on low budget, as users don’t expect live videos to be professional and scripted. They should be a unique look into the restaurant or hotel being showcased. In addition, these videos should be relatively short, as 2 minutes is typically the drop-off point in engagement. Creating high quality content is important in some aspects but sharing high quality information is key to get consumers engaging.

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Given all the facts (there are many!), it would be a disservice to your business not to use video marketing in some way. Information diffusion, news or simple video visuals can have a positive impact on both website and social media engagement.